CH 109

Words : 1096 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

I thought of a herb that would heal muscle fatigue “Now let’s start with the basic training… Especially since Tilura won’t have much energy.” “Basic training…” “What will we do?” Was that like exercising? Indeed, if you had no strength to begin with, then you won’t be able to swing a sword with any accuracy. However, Tilura was tilting her head with a puzzled expression. “I wanted to teach you how to hold a sword before you developed any strange habits. So do not forget that… But now, we’ll have to spend a lot of time toughening you both up.” “Yes.” “I understand.” After that, it was a lot of boring exercise. Pushups, squats, and situps. We also had to do back exercises as he said back muscles were important when swinging. All of the training involved your own weight. It wasn’t exciting, but it should be effective. On top of that, he also added running to the regimen. As Tilura and I ran around the garden, Leo and Sherry would join us as if we were playing. And though we were both out of breath, Leo and Sherry looked like they were just warming up. Obviously, we were made completely differently, but I couldn’t help but feel a little jealous by their energy. Once we were thoroughly exhausted from our training, it was time to rest and eat lunch. “You have to eat even if you’re not hungry, or you won’t be able to train for long.” Thankfully, Tilura, who looked like she wasn’t very hungry yet, ate all of her food after hearing those words from Mr. Ekenhart. And after lunch, we repeated the same basic training again. But as I was training, I had an idea. “Mr. Ekenhart, do you have a moment?” “What is it, Mr. Takumi?” “Well, there is something that I want to make with Weed Cultivation.” “Hmm… As long as it doesn’t get in the way of training, I don’t mind.” With Mr. Ekenhart’s permission, we took a short break from training. I just needed a few seconds to focus on Weed Cultivation. Once it was done, I picked the plant and gave some to Tilura…and also Mr. Ekenhart, as he was looking at me as if he wanted some. “What is this, Mr. Takumi?” “It’s a herb that will heal your tiredness.” It was a blue leaf. I wasn’t thinking about the taste while making it, so it was probably not good. And so I asked Ms. Lyra to bring some water before we ate it. After seeing me eat it, Tilura and Mr. Ekenhart also stuffed the leaves into their mouths. The bitter taste spread in my mouth, so I quickly drank the water. “Mmm…glug… It tastes bad…” “It’s horribly bitter…but not enough to make me vomit…” They said with scowls. It had been pretty bitter for me as well, but I did a mental fist pump, as I could immediately feel the effect. “…Ah! It’s amazing! I’ll be able to keep training like this!” “Incredible… Mr. Takumi. Is this different from the herbs you made yesterday?” “Yes. While this one is also for tiredness, its purpose is specifically for physical fatigue and sore muscles.” The one I made previously was for tiredness that built up in your body over time. And while it did help, the tiredness from training was a little different. So it wasn’t that it wouldn’t be effective, but I thought of making something more perfect. Something that focused on muscles used in training. If it was possible to get rid of muscle fatigue, then perhaps training will become more efficient. That’s why I had used Weed Cultivation. And it looked like I had succeeded. All the tiredness and sluggishness I had felt was gone. Though, unlike the other herb, it didn’t seem to do much for energy… “…It would be nice to have this from now on… Well, we’ll leave that for now. But now you two can endure even harsher training.” “…What…” “…Mr. Takumi…” Mr. Ekenhart was true to his word, and we had to go through much harsher training after that. “Maybe…I shouldn’t have made any herbs…” I couldn’t help but mutter. But Mr. Ekenhart was laughing gleefully about this new efficiency as he continued to torment us. Training didn’t end until dinner was ready in the evening. And so we all retired to the dining hall. “Oh, but first…” We wiped ourselves with some hot water and towels. While we couldn’t wash up completely here, we could at least do something about the sweat…especially since we were about to eat. However, were Ms. Claire and Sebastian not terribly bored watching us train? Thanks to the herbs, there was almost no soreness of the muscles, and so I was able to walk back to the dining hall. Though, the lack of energy made me slow. In fact, Tilura had just hitched a ride on Leo’s back. “You two aren’t terrible when it comes to the basics with the sword… Though, some of it is because of the herbs.” “I’m glad to hear that.” Those were the words Mr. Ekenhart said as we ate. Both Tilura and I had promise, which was very encouraging to hear. Even if we were helped greatly by the herbs, I was just glad that I’d be able to use a sword. “Of course, you still have a long way to go. And so the training will continue.” “Yes.” “I understand.” “…Let’s see…do one thousand swings before bed. It’s necessary so that the sword becomes one with your hands.” “…What.” “Before we go to bed…?” Mr. Ekenhart made another addition to our regimen before sleep. I understood that learning to swing was important, but a thousand times… “…I’ll be sure to make some more herbs then… So I can give some to Tilura.” After dinner, I took my sword and went out to the garden in order to train. And I also made a lot of herbs with Weed Cultivation. Then I gave some to Tilura, who also came out while holding her sword. And the two of us swung silently. There was no one instructing us now, but we knew that slacking off wouldn’t benefit us at all. And so I continued to swing as Leo looked at me boredly. And then the day was done. …When I was finished, I took a bath and washed away the sweat.

CH 109

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